Organic solvents, such as acetone, xylene, ketones, aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzene, esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons and ethers are widely used as additives for industrial and commercial purposes. Due to the high volatility of these compounds, their uses are regulated by many countries' governmental agencies. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) have classified these compounds based on their volatilities or “flash points”. For example, Acetone has a flash point of 0° F. and is classified a flammable, thereby limiting its scope of uses.
The EPA and DOT Volatile Organic Compound (“VOC”) classifications are as follows:
Class I liquids (flammable)flash point at or below 100° F.Class II liquids (combustible)flash point from 100° F. to below 140° F.Class III liquids (combustible)flash point above 140° F. to below 200° F.
Obviously, the more flammable a solvent, the more restrictions exist on its use. Further, manufacturers that utilize solvents must handle the more flammable liquids more carefully and have to address issues involving atmospheric volatility and worker health concerns due to excessive exposure to these chemicals. If these solvents can be modified so that their flash points can be increased, this would result in significantly more uses for these compounds as well as increasing their shelf lives. It is desirable therefore to increase the flash point of a variety of solvents without substantially increasing the cost of the solvent while maintaining the solvent and its utility and effectiveness for its purpose.